India, Oct. 13 -- With winter almost here, it's almost time to reopen those trunks and suitcases holding the family's woolen and warm clothes. The sweaters, shawls and jackets go through trials before being rolled out for the season.

This is a familiar routine for anyone who lives in a city or town with a winter to speak of, and every season brings the same challenges of keeping up with the trends and the changing needs of everyone in the family.

For everyday wear, keeping an old favourite sweater or cardigan makes sense, but going on a holiday or dressing up for an occasion in winter changes things. Plus, if you live in Mumbai or Chennai or any other temperate city with no real cold months, buying winter wear for that occasional trip t...